'I have nothing against Sulkowski, but my lord's favour, which makes me humble, arouses great pride in him; it may be that he boasted that he can do anything, not only in the state affairs, but also with your Majesty.'
'H'm! You say it may be! Yes, it may be!' said the King. 'Between ourselves, he knows nothing of music, and does not understand much about pictures: he is satisfied when the subject is nude! What a Venus he brought here once, and what trouble I had with the Queen about it! She ordered the picture to be burnt. Well, it is true also, that he takes too many liberties----'
Augustus III, not finishing his sentence, looked out of the window, became dreamy and yawned.
'What do you think,' he asked 'is it an authentic Ribera, sent yesterday from Venice?'
Brühl shrugged his shoulders.
'I am of your Majesty's opinion.'
'It might be Ribera.'
'Yes, it might be Ribera,' Brühl repeated.
'But it might be il Erote----'
'There is no doubt that it looks like Frate----'